Let’s Talk About Ted White, Texans QB Coach

Ted White is our current QB Coach, I want to do a deep dive into him as Mills is regressing and easiest answers are to blame Pep's offense or Mills just stink. I want to put down my theory that its just our QB Coach is not a NFL Caliber QB Coach. Lets begin by going to Howard College in 1996.

Pep Hamilton has graduated Howard College after being unable to lead the team as QB to the Black National Championship as it was done under the prior QB. He stays at Howard and becomes the QB Coach for Sophomore Ted White. That year Howard wins the Black National Championship, and over the next 3 years Ted White sets records in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. To this day Ted White has the MEAC records for Total Passing Yards for Career and Single Game, Completions for Career, Passing Touchdowns for Career and Single Game, and also ranks top 10 in the other QB non rushing records ( https://static.meacsports.com/custompages/media_guides/Football/2021/2021%20MEAC%20FB%20Media%20Guide.pdf ). But did not get drafted in the NFL.

He was first signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars as a UDFA, then was cut and signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that same year (1999). Next year was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs before being cut again. He didn't play a game in the NFL. He then was a back up in NFL Europe, then a back up in the CFL. He retired in 2005. White had a combined total of 2568 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 19 interceptions at his retirement.

After that he spent 13 years as a QB coach and Offensive Coordinator at Historical Black Colleges and Universities (06-08 Texas Southern QB Coach, 10 Southern OC, 11-16 Howard OC, 16-18 Arkansas-Pine Bluff OC [Midseason Interim HC for '17), and 18-19 Prairie View A&M OC). While he was QB coach none of his teams did anything of note. Only thing of note was the teams did much better after he left, but that could just be a change in recruits.

Pep Hamilton then got a job in the XFL as HC to the DC Franchise, DC Defenders. He hired Ted White as the QB Coach. It should be stated in the NFL Cardale Jones improved over his 4 years in the NFL (Note couldn't find individual pre-season game stats, only compiled, and Rushing is a part of Jones' game):

Stat | Preseason 2016 | Preseason 2017 | Preseason 2018 | Preseason 2019 | XFL

:–|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:

Comp | 29 | 36 | 31 | 28 | 61

Attempt | 59 | 61 | 48 | 41 | 113

Cmp% | 49.2% | 59.0% | 64.6% | 68.3% | 54.0%

TD | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4

INT | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7

Yards | 362 | 343 | 364 | 357 | 674

YpC | 12.5 | 9.5 | 11.7 | 12.8 | 11.0

Rush | 9 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 17

Yards | 45 | 51 | 56 | 39 | 61

YpR | 5 | 8.5 | 6.2 | 5.6 | 3.6

I know that is Preseason Games vs an XFL season, so lets also put up his one NFL game vs XFL Games for clarity, note Jones only played 1 game, his rookie year in 2016 and didn't play a seasonal game until the XFL in 2020.

Stat | Bills @ Jets | Dragons @ Defenders | Guardians @ Def | Def @ Wildcats | Def @ Vipers | Battlehawks @ Def

:–|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:|–:

Comp | 6 | 16 | 23 | 13 | 9 | 0

Attempt | 11 | 26 | 37 | 26 | 22 | 2

Cmp% | 54.5% | 61.5% | 62.2% | 50.0% | 40.9% | 0.0%

TD | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0

INT | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1

Yards | 96 | 235 | 264 | 103 | 72 | 0

YpC | 16.0 | 14.7 | 11.5 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 0.0

Long | 64 | 39 | 40 | 26 | 19 | 0

Rush | 1 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1

Yards | -1 | 28 | 14 | 19 | 0 | 0

YpR | -1.0 | 3.1 | 14.0 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.0

From those numbers, you can take what you will, but I see regression in Jones from the NFL to XFL. It could just be Pep's Offense, that when it got going in Indy it was number 1 in the league before Andrew Luck hurt his shoulder, or it could be that Ted White isn't good at QB Coaching.

Now I am an optimist, so I want to give Pep a chance, because he has a history of being quite good and is well liked by the league (except Chuck Pagano), and when he was let go from the Colts it was floated that he should be given a HC opportunity or if not that another OC job, and I want us to be the team that gives Pep the chance. That being said, I have no confidence in Ted White. Besides being a great QB in his college conference, who didn't make it in the NFL, I don't see anything from him that shows his success as a coach, and anything I find shows he is detriment to his QBs.

This has been my Ted White research, hope someone finds it interesting.